Technical Field
The technology presented herein relates to a storage medium having stored thereon an image processing program, and an image processing apparatus, and more particularly relates to a storage medium having stored thereon an image processing program and an image processing apparatus which are capable of deleting a displayed image.
Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-167192 (hereinafter referred to as patent document 1), for example, various apparatuses have been developed, which delete displayed images in accordance with an operation by a user. According to a game apparatus disclosed in patent document 1, a hand-drawn image is displayed in accordance with a handwriting input by a player. In the game apparatus, when the player performs a predetermined delete operation, the displayed hand-drawn image is deleted. For example, when the player operates an all-delete button, types of lines forming the displayed hand-drawn image are changed to wavy lines, and colors of the hand-drawn image are also changed (for example, to pale colors).
However, in the game apparatus disclosed in the above-described patent document 1, a hand written-image is deleted only by changing the lines types and the colors of hand-drawn image as a whole. Therefore, even if the user performs the delete operation, no artistic effect in response to the operation is exerted, and thus no event is taken place in response to the operation. Therefore, the user does not find any enjoyment in the delete operation, and consequently, the delete operation for deleting a hand-drawn image is regarded as a mere monotonous operation. That is, in the game apparatus disclosed in the above-described patent document 1, the hand-drawn image is processed as a whole in accordance with the user operation (delete operation), and thus it is difficult to obtain a novel artistic presentation of the hand-drawn image.
Therefore, a feature of an example embodiment presented herein is to provide an image processing program and an image processing apparatus which are capable of processing an image displayed based on a user operation, by adding a novel artistic presentation effect to the image when the processing is performed based on the user operation.
The present embodiment has the following features to attain the above. It is noted that reference characters, step numbers, and supplementary explanations in parentheses are merely provided to facilitate the understanding of the present embodiment.
A first aspect is directed to a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an image processing program executed by a computer (31) of an apparatus for performing predetermined processing on an image (Ihw, Ist) generated in accordance with an output from the pointing device (13). The image processing program causes the computer to function as image generation means (CPU 31 executing step 54, hereinafter denoted by the step number only), image display control means (S54), and image change control means (S56, S57). The image generation means generates an input image (Ihw, Ist) in accordance with the output from the pointing device. The image display control means displays the input image generated by the image generation means on display means (12). The image change control means disassembles the input image generated by the image generation means into a plurality of partial image (Ihw1 to Ihw5, Istn), and changes at least one of a display position and a display form of each of the partial images. The pointing device is an input device designating a input position or a coordinate point on a screen, and may be realized by a system and the like which detects a position on the screen which is pointed at by using a touch panel, a mouse, a track pad, a trackball, a graphics tablet, a joystick or a housing of a game controller. Further, to change the display position or the display form includes processes of causing the disassembled partial images to move, changing (enlarging, and downsizing, for example) a shape of each of the disassembled partial images, changing (rotating) a display direction of each of the disassembled partial images, changing a color of each of the disassembled partial images, causing each of the disassembled partial images to blink, and changing the degree of transparency of each of the disassembled partial images. The process of changing the display position or the display form may be performed with respect to a part of the input image, instead of an entirety of the input image.
In a second aspect, when the user performs a delete operation, the image change control means changes a partial image which is a target of the delete operation, displays the changed partial image on the display means, and deletes the displayed changed partial image, which is the target of the deletion operation, from the display screen. The partial image, which is the target of the deletion operation, may be the entirety of the input image, or may be a part of the input image.
In a third aspect, the image change control means divides (S71) a display area of the input image into blocks each composed of a plurality of pixels, and disassembles the input image into the plurality of partial images in block units.
In a fourth aspect, the computer is further caused to function as continuity determination means (S76, S94, S114, S134, S153). The contiguity determination means determines continuous portions in the input image. In accordance with determination by the continuity determination means, the image change control means disassembles the input image into the plurality of partial images such that the continuous portions belong to a common one of the partial images.
In a fifth aspect, the image change control means divides a display area of the input image into blocks each composed of a plurality of pixels, and disassembles the input image into the plurality of partial images in block units. The continuity determination means determines that blocks are continuous when the input image extends continuously over the blocks. The image change control means further disassembles, in accordance with the determination by the continuity determination means, the input image into the plurality of partial images such that the continuous blocks belong to a common one of the partial images.
In a sixth aspect, when the input image is included in a bordering area of either one of two adjacent blocks, the continuity determination means determines that the two blocks are continuous to each other (FIG. 20, determination criteria A).
In a seventh aspect, when the input image is included in bordering areas of two adjacent blocks, the continuity determination means determines that the two blocks are continuous to each other (FIG. 20, determination criteria B).
In an eighth aspect, the continuity determination means further determines whether or not the input image included in the bordering area of either one of the two adjacent blocks and the input image included in the bordering area of the other one of the two adjacent blocks are continuous to each other, and concludes that the two adjacent blocks are continuous to each other when the input images are continuous to each other (FIG. 20, determination criteria C).
In a ninth aspect, the continuity determination means determines whether or not an adjacent block, which is adjacent to one block and is determined to be continuous to the one block, is continuous to another block, which is adjacent to the adjacent block, and concludes, in the case of the adjacent block and the another block being continuous, that the one block, the adjacent block and the another block are continuous to one another (FIG. 12 to FIG. 16).
In a tenth aspect, the image change control means provides a common moving speed in a common moving direction to respective element images composing each of the partial images, and changes a display position of each of the partial images.
In an eleventh aspect, the image change control means provides a common moving speed in a common moving direction to the blocks which are determined by the continuity determination means to be continuous to each other, and changes a display position of each of the partial images (FIG. 23A).
In a twelfth aspect, the apparatus includes imaging means (23, 25) for capturing an image of surroundings of the apparatus. The image display control means displays a captured image captured by the imaging means on the display means in real time, overlaps the input image generated by the image generation means on the captured image, and displays a resultant image on the display means.
In a thirteenth aspect, the image generation means generates a hand-drawn image (Ihw) in accordance with the output from the pointing device.
In a fourteenth aspect based on the first aspect, the image generation means generates a predetermined synthesis image (Ist) to be displayed at a position based on the output from the pointing device.
In a fifteenth aspect, the image generation means generates a second input image in accordance with an output from the pointing device after a first input image is generated. The image display control means synthesizes and displays the first input image and the second input image. The image change control means treats an image obtained by synthesizing the first input image and the second input image as one image, and disassembles the synthesized image.
In a sixteenth aspect, when the user performs an all-delete operation, the image change control means disassembles an entirety of the input image into the plurality of partial images, changes at least one of the display position and the display form of each of the plurality of partial images so as to be displayed on the display means, and deletes all the displayed partial images from the display screen.
In a seventeenth aspect, the image change control means causes the partial images to move to different display positions, respectively, and displays the partial images on the display means.
In an eighteenth aspect, the image change control means causes each of the partial images to move to the outside of the display screen, and deletes the partial images from the display screen.
In a nineteenth aspect, the image change control means provides initial speeds in different directions to the plurality of partial images, respectively, also provides acceleration in a predetermined common direction to the partial images, and deletes the partial images from the display screen.
In a twentieth aspect, the pointing device is a touch panel which covers a display screen of the display means.
In a twenty-first aspect, the image change control means disassembles the input image generated by the image generation means in accordance with respective colors of the input image.
In a twenty-second aspect, the computer is further caused to function as input position history storage control means. The input position history storage control means stores, in a memory (32), a history of input positions corresponding to the output from the pointing device. In accordance with the history of the input positions, the image change control means disassembles the input image generated by the image generation means into partial images each composed of such input positions that are continuous, among the input positions used by the image generation means for generating the input image.
In a twenty-third aspect, the image change control means disassembles the input image generated by the image generation means in a predetermined mesh shape.
In a twenty-fourth aspect, the image change control means displays the disassembled partial images on the display means by rotating each of the disassembled partial images.
In a twenty-fifth aspect, the image change control means displays the disassembled partial images on the display means by enlarging or downsizing each of the disassembled partial images.
In a twenty-sixth aspect, the image change control means displays the disassembled partial images on the display means by changing colors of each of the disassembled partial images.
In a twenty-seventh aspect, the image change control means displays the disassembled partial images on the display means by causing each of the disassembled partial images to blink.
A twenty-eighth aspect is directed to an image processing apparatus performing predetermined processing on an image generated in accordance with an output from a pointing device. The image processing apparatus includes image generation means, image display control means, and image change control means. The image generation means generates an input image in accordance with the output from the pointing device. The image display control means displays the input image generated by the image generation means on display means. The image change control means disassembles the input image generated by the image generation means into a plurality of partial images, and changes at least one of a display position and a display form of each of the partial images.
According to the above-described first aspect, at least one of the display position and the display form of each of the partial images is changed, the partial images being obtained by disassembling the input image displayed based on the user operation. Therefore, it is possible to process the input image by adding a novel artistic presentation effect to the input image.
According to the above-described second aspect, when the input image displayed based on the user operation undergoes a partial-delete process or an all-delete process in accordance with a partial-delete operation or all-delete operation by the user, each of the partial images is deleted after at least one of the display position and the display form of each partial image is changed. Therefore, it is possible to delete the input image by adding a novel artistic presentation effect to the input image.
According to the above-described third aspect, the image is disassembled in block units, which is larger than pixel units, and thus it is possible to reduce a load of a process for disassembling the image.
According to the above-described fourth aspect, when the input image displayed on the user operation is processed, it is possible to add a novel artistic presentation effect to respective continuous parts of the disassembled image.
According the above-described fifth aspect, the continuous parts are determined in block units, which is larger than pixel units, and thus, it is possible to reduce a load of a continuity determination process.
According to the above-described sixth to eighth aspects, when connection between adjacent blocks is determined, only pixels in bordering areas are used to allow an accurate continuity determination. Further, when respective determination criteria based on the above-described sixth to eighth aspects are used, results of the continuity determination between blocks vary. Therefore, by using appropriate one of the determination criteria, it is possible to adjust a load or accuracy of the process for disassembling the input image.
According to the ninth aspect, a recursive process is repeated, whereby a group of blocks which are connected in various manners is determined accurately.
According to the above-described tenth aspect, it is possible to move the image in partial image units, even if each of the partial images composed of element images is not regarded as one object.
According to the above-described eleventh aspect, it is possible to move the image in group units, even if a plurality of blocks included in a common group are not regarded as one object.
According to the above-described twelfth to fourteenth aspects, it is possible to add a hand-drawn line, a hand-drawn character, a hand-drawn mark (symbol, or stamp), and the like, which are made by the user, onto the captured image.
According to the above-described fifteenth aspect, it is possible to perform the image disassembling process and the artistic image presentation process, in a similar manner, regardless of the number of images generated by the user.
According to the above-described sixteenth aspect, it is possible to perform all deletion in accordance with the all-delete operation by the user.
According to the above-described seventeenth to nineteenth aspects, it is possible to perform the artistic image presentation in which each of the partial images are moved in various directions and then deleted.
According to the above-described twentieth aspect, it is possible to allow the user to perform an intuitive operation by using the touch panel.
According to the above-described twenty-first to twenty-third aspects, an image generated based on the user operation is disassembled into various units of partial images, and the image is processed by adding a novel artistic presentation effect to the partial images.
According to the twenty-fourth to twenty-seventh aspects, it is possible to process the input image by adding various artistic presentation effects to the partial images.
According to the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of exerted by the above-described storage medium having the image processing program stored thereon.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.